Leg brace knee joint



w. RUETTING LEG BRACE KNEE JOINT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1949INVENTOR. MAL/19M FUE 77//V@ BY Oct 9 w. RUETTING 2,570,382

LEG BRACE KNEE JOINT Filed Sept... 2, 1949 Z-Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR.MALI/9M Pusrfms H T TOH/VEYS j rotation;

Patented Oct. 9, 1 951 UNITED'TSTAYTES" PATENT OFFICE LEG BRACE JOINTWilliam Ruetting, Detroit, Mich. 7 Application September 2, 1949, SerialNo. 113,824

.This invention relates to orthopedic appliances,

= and 'more particularly to knee joints ,for leg braces.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved legbrace having kneejoints adapted to permit bending of thewearers knee andnatural turning of the lower leg and foot around a vertical axisrelative to the upper-leg, whereby normal functioning of the muscles ofthe lower leg is allowed, and whereby the leg brace may be worn withoutdiscomfort or soretness. 1 r

- A further object of i the invention is to provide an improved legbracehaving a knee joint arranged to allow the turning of the-foot ofthe wearer around a vertical axis relative to the upper ,leg when theknee is bent, in accordance with the natural flexing of the leg muscles,the improved knee joint being very simple in construction, dependable-in operation, and allowing the Figure 1 is a side elevational view ofthe interinediate portion of an improved leg brace, showing the improvedknee joint structure of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the intermediate-portion of theleg brace of Figure 1, showing both of the improved knee jointstructures employed in the side portions of the leg ,brace;

, Figure 3 is a top plan View of the jointed portions of theleg brace,the brace being shown in straight bending position with the segments ofthe knee joint members locked against relative Figure 4 is a top planview similar to Figure. 3, but showing the knee joint elements in angledkneeebending position, corresponding to a turned position of the wearersfoot around a vertical axis, the segments of one of the knee jointmembers being shown in unlocked position; t

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Figure1;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken. on line 56 of Figure 5;

Figure}? is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the knee joint inbent position; I

' Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective detail view of the ofiset linkmember employed in the knee joint of Figures 1 to '7.

.Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 2, the legbrace comprises oposed lower bar members H, H adapted to be i 3 Claims(Cl. 128-80) strapped to opposite sides of the wearers leg belowthe'knee, and upper-bar members l2,- l2 adapted'to be strapped tooppositesides of the wearer's leg abovethe knee. The respective up"- perbar members I2 are connected 'to the respec tive lower'bar members H atopposite sides-of the wearers knee 'byrespective symmetricallyopposedknee'joint structures indicated generally atl3,l3. 1 Referring now toFigures 5 'and 6, it will be seen that each lower' bar member II isformed at its top end with'a vertical cylindrical stud M which isspherically recessed at I 5. Designated at 16 is a bracket member'formedwith a vertical bore l"| in'whicli stud I4 is received, the upper end of'the bore being reduced in diameter, as shown at H]; andpbeing formedwith a sphericalseat below bore portion [8, in which ispositioned a'ball bearing [9 against which the spherical seat element l5"of stud Mabuts. Stud I4' is retained in bore I! by a horizontal pin 20 extendingtransversely thriough bracket member I6 which'is received in a grooveformed in' stud I'M-said groove having oppositely-angled inner wallsurfaces 2| 2 l defining clearances whereby vertical stud l4 may rotate"through small'a'ngle's around the vertical axis of bore ll, permittingcorresponding angular rotation of lower bar member H with respect tobracket member Each bracketmember IB is formed with a vertically-risingarm 22 at the inner side thereof. Designated at 23 is alink memberhavinga vertical upper arm 2 l and a vertical lower arm:25 outwardlyofi'set with respect to upper arm 24, and arranged, as shown in Figure5, withthe upper arm 24 parallel to arm 22, and thelower' arm 25disposed in a groove 26 formed in the outer lower portion of bracketmember l6. Upper arm '24 is pivotally secured to arm 22' by a horizontalbolt 21 threaded into a flanged sleeve 28 carried by arm' 22', the headoffthe bolt 2'| bearing on the outer end of the sleeve 28 and overlyingthe outer "sleeve 33 carried 'by arm 25. The bottom edge of bar member,I2 is inclined, as shown at 34,. and

cooperates with an inclined rib.35, forming the jouter wall of groove26, tolimit counterclockwise rotation around the axis of bolt 32 of barmember 12 ,with respect to bracket member. [6, as viewed in'Figures land'7'. The upper end of rib 35 is formed with an outwardly-ofisetupstanding lug ber [2 may pivot only around horizontal bolt 32,

When the locking screws 3| are employed at both sides of the leg brace,as shown in Figure 2;;pivoting of the upper bar members l2, l2 may takeplace only around the common horizontal axis defined by bolts 32, 32.Under these conditions, turning around a vertical axis of either foot ofthe wearer of the brace during knee-bend conditions is substantiallyprevented, since the lower "leg portions l I, are .preventedfromturningaround vertical axes to the upper leg portions by thelocklngefiect provided by screws. 31. By removing one of the lockingscrews 34-, as shown in Figure 4, a slight degree of, turning movementof the. lower leg portion around a: vertical axis is permitted, sincethe. unlocked brace knee. joint; is thereby providedwith .a-swingable,link; connection of its upper bar member I! to its lower bar memher H-instead of having: merely-a purely pivotal connection therewith. This isshown. in Figure 4. wherein. the unlocked link member 23,, at the lowerportion of the figure, is: shown rotated around a horizontal axiswithrespect to its; adjoining bracket arm 22, due to the-'slightly-turnedposition of, the wearers foot around a vertical axis, shown in dottedview at 31, relative to the upper leg portion, shown in dotted; view at,38,. When both locking screws 3!, 3!, are removed, turning movementsaround vertical axes: of each foot and lower leg-with respect to eachupper leg 'of'thewearer are substantiallyunrestrained during kneebending and otherleg conditions, both link members 23,. 2:3 being-nowfree to pivot around horizontal axes with respect: to their associated'bracket members 15, I 6.1 Underthese latter conditions, the brace-kneejoints l3, l3 allow the feet to be turned, naturally around Verticalaxes under the operation ot the leg muscles; when the knees arebent. r

When a person makes a normal kneerbend, that is, allows his body to;descendi'by allowing; both knees. to bend, the weight of his body tendsto cause hisknees to swing outwardly away from each. other while hisfeet pivot outwardly to a much lesser degree. v Since the link: members23, 23 tend to: rotate opposite: directions as" a resultofL thenormallyopposite turning movements of the; foot and lower legportions aroundvertical axes during knee bends. (-the locking: screws 3|" beingremoved), the bracket members i6, 16 also-rotate in ope positedirections. around. their vertical studs 14 since oppositely-directedhorizontal torques are applied to the respective bracket members-by therespective bar members 12, 1-2.. The requi ed amount of rotation of thebracket members It, 16 around their studs Ill is allowed bytheprovisionof the mutually inclined clearancesurfaces 21,21 in the rear walls ofthe. horizontal "retaining-pin receiving grooves formed in the studs.

The grooves an. and 2:9 in the arms 24.- and 22 may be employed aspassages for-conveying lubricant to the bearing balls 19-.

Although a specific embodiment ofan improved knee joint for legbraceshas been disclosed in. the foregoing description, it, will be understoodthat various modifications within the spirltiof the invention may occurto those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that nolimitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

r 1. A flexible leg braceknee joint comprising a pair of upper barmembers arranged to be secured on opposite sides of the wearers legabove the knee, a pair of substantially vertical lower bar membersarranged to be secured on opposite sides of the wearers leg below theknee, vertically extending pivot means on the upper end of the lower barmembers, respective bracket members rotatably secured on said pivotmeans for rotation around the respective vertical axes of the lower barmembers, and respective link bars connecting the topv ends of therespective bracket members-to the lower endsof the respective upper barmembers, whereby rotation of the lower leg portion around its rotationalaxis relative to the upper leg portion may take place with the leg inknee-bending position.

2. A flexible leg brace knee joint comprising a pair of upper barmembers arranged to be secured on opposite sides of the wearers'legabove the knee, a pair of substantially vertical lower barmembersarranged to besecured on opposite sides of the wearersleg below theknee, vertically extending pivot means ontheupper ends of the lower barmembers, respective bracket members rotatably secured on said pivotmeans for rotation around the respective vertical axes of the lower barmembers, respective link bars connecting the respective bracket membersto the lower end of the respective upper bar members, whereby rotationof the lower leg portion around its rotational axis relative to theupper leg portion may take place with the leg in knee-bending position,and means for at times selectively locking the respective link barsagainst rotation around said rotational axis with'respect to therespective, bracket members;

3. A flexible leg brace knee joint comprising a pair of upper barmembers arranged to be secured on opposite sides of the. wearer's legabove the knee, a pair of lower bar members arranged to be secured onopposite sides of the wearer's leg below the kneeea vertically extendingbearing member oneach of one of said" pairs of bar members, a bracket.member rotatably 'm'ounted on the bearing member, and respectiveoutwardly offset link bars, the inner and outer portions of, the linkbars being respectively pivoted to said bracket member and. to the otherof said bar members for rotation about a horizontal axis, wherebythebars are permitted to move. relative to one another about theirrespective horizontal axes and to rotate about the vertical bearing memr when the knee is bent.

WILLIAM RUETTING.

Remittances CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Apr. 17,. 1925

